Railway cross-tie.



J. H. MESSNER.

.RAILWAY CROSS TIE.

APPLICATloN FILED FEB.7.1914.

L, Patented May 8, 191?.

JOHN I-I. MESSNER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY CROSS-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed February 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,258.

To all flo/tom t /majz/ concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN H. MnssNnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Cross-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway cross ties and has particular reference to those which are constructed of metal. The object of the invention is to so construct the tie with regard to number, proportion and arrangement of parts that it may be cheaply manufactured, and will be durable and eiiicient in operation. A further object is to form the side walls of the tie in such a manner that the greatest possible area. will be presented to the dirt, crushed rock, cinders, or other ballast, so that the tie will be held as firmly as possible against either vertical or longiis appended hereto and forms a part of this v application.

lith reference to the drawing, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred form of this invention as it is reduced to prac tice. and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tie with Ya rail mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the' direction of the arrow.

The improved tie forming the subjectmatter of the present invention comprises a base plate 5 preferably formed of metal and having its opposite longitudinal edges bent downwardly to form depending anchoring flanges 6. Secured to the upper surface of the base plate 5 are parallel upstanding side walls 7, said side walls being substantially U-shape in cross section and having their web portions provided with outwardly extending upper and lower flanges 8 and 9 defining an outwardly opening channel adapted to receive the ballast or other material from which the road-bed is constructed. The lower flanges 9 of the side walls 7 are bolted or riveted at 10 to the base plate 5, while the upper flanges 8 are connected by rigid plates 1l, one of which is preferably arranged at each end of the tie and disposed flush with the outer end thereof, as shown. The rigid connecting plates 11 are preferably of the same width as the upper flanges 8 of the side walls and are bolted, riveted or otherwise secured thereto, as indicated at 12.

Mounted on the upper face of the tie adjacent each connecting plate 11 is a tie plate 13 having spaced ribs 14 formed on the upper surface thereof and defining an intermediate seat for the reception of the rail 15. Interposed between the tieplate 13 and the upper surface of the tie proper' is a cushioning member 15 preferably in the form of a fiber plate, said tie plate and cushioning plate being retained in position on the cross tie by means of bolts 16, the shanls of which pass through openings in said plates and also through corresponding openings in the Lipper iianges 8 for engagement with clamping nuts 17. The heads of the bolts 16 lit over the ribs 14k and bear against the base flange of the rail thereby firmly clamping the rail to its seat, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The tie plates 13 are of greater width than the rigid connecting' plates 11 and are spaced from each other and from the inner longitudinal edges of the adjacent connecting plates. rllhe distance between the inner faces of the webs of the side walls 7 is preferably greater than the height of the tie so as to present a broad bearing surface to the road-bed and thus assist in preventing tilting movement of the tie incident to the passage of trains, cars and other rolling stock thereover.

In reduction to practice it has been found that the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practicable; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desired t0 emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is:

A railway tie including parallel upstanding side walls, each of said side walls being substantially U-shape in cross section and having its web portion provided with outwardly extending upper and lower flanges defining an outwardly opening channel adapted to receive the material from which the road-bed is constructed, rigid plates of substantially the same width as the flanges of the side walls connecting the upper flanges of said side walls at the opposite ends of the tie and having their outer longitudinal edges disposed substantially Hush with the ends of the tie, a base member connecting the lower flanges of the side walls and provided with oppositely disposed depending anchoring flanges, and tie plates of greater width than the rigid connecting plates bridging the side walls of the top of the tie and spaced from each other and from the inner longitudinal edges of theaadjacent connecting plates, the distance between the inner faces of the webs of the side walls being greater than the height of the tie.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. MESSNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

